Casket.



.l. SVANDA.

GASKET,`

V i APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1917, Lmmgw l Patented Jan. 29; 1918 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. SVANDA.

GASKET. APPLICATGN FILED M AY18, 191?.

EN TUR Y WOW ATTUQN5Y5.

prtrrnn estantes ieaarnrrr Specification of Letters Patent.

JAMES SVANDA, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

GASKET.

Patented dan. 29, 1918.,

Application filed May 18, 1917. Serial No. 169,528.

ing the burial service and .after the service be lowered into the casket which is then car ried away to the place of burial and placed in the grave.

The invention furtl'ier designed to provide in combination with a casket, a body supporting platform which may be raised to display the body and lowered when the casket is closed up.

The invention is further designed to provide a casket with means therein for raising and lowering the body and for lowering the cover of the casket while the body is being lowered.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth.

1n the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of the device embodylng the invention, parts 'being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of one end of the casket takenV on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 parts being broken away and parts being` shown in section;

Fig. t is a section taken on the line 1 -a of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. Zlshowing the cover open and in position to be lowered;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1 when the turning device is removed;

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

In general, the device comprises a casketbody provided with a cover, means'mount-ed within the casket for raising and lowering' the body, means for actuating said raising and lowering means, means for securing the cover in open position, and means for lowering the cover when the body 1s lowered.

In the drawings, the numeral 9 designates I.the body of the casket which is provided with a hinged cover 10, carrying handles 11 and a spring lock 12 consisting of a spring pressed catch 13 carried by the cover and engageable in a keeperk plate 14n on the top edge of the body of the casket. said catch adapted to be unlocked by pressing a button 15, though it will be understood that any suitable form of spring lock may be used to secure the cover in closed position.

The means for raising and lowering the "i body within the casket comprises a body supporting platform 16 having a head rest 17 and means for raising and lowering the platform. rIhis means comprises a revoluble shaft 18 journaled in the casket and straps 19 upon which the platform is carried. Each of the straps is secured at one end 2O to the shaft 18 thence extends laterally to one side of the casket, thence upwardly on this side through guides 21 and 22 on this side thence across to the other side of the casket beneath the platform 16. thence downwardly on the other side through guides 23 and 24 and thence laterallv toward the shaft and secured' at its end 25 to said shaft. Figs. 4 and 5. With this construction when the shaft is revolved in a c0unter-clockwise direction. the straps will be wound up on the shaft 18 and thus shorten the length of the portions of the straps carrying the platform and thus elevate said platform until the straps are drawn level with the upper guides 21 and 23 at which time the platform has reached the upper portion of the casket to display the body, as shown .in Fig. 5.

The actuating means comprises a handwheel 26 provided with a hollow shaft 27 having slots 28 therein engaging a pin 29 on the shaft 18 to detachably secure the handle thereto for rotating said shaft and further consists of a brake mounted upon a support 30 carried by the handwheel and de- .tachably secured to one end of the casket.

The support is provided with an inwardly extending flange 31 insertible in a recess 32 in the end of the casket and secured thereto by a locking rod 33 passing through a bore 34 in the end of the casket and through an aperture 35 in said flange. The shaft 27 is journaled in the support 30 and carries a grooved bra-ke wheel 36 engageable by a brace will be moved brake band 3T having its ends 38 extending upwardly through the support and secured thereto by adjustable thumb nuts 39. It will be observed thatrby screwing down on one of these nuts 39 that the brake band will be brought into frictional engagement with the wheel 36 to retard the movement of the shaft 18 when the body is being' lowered. The shaft 27 extends through an aperture l0 in the end of the casket and when the actuating' means isV removed plates all and 42, slidably mounted in the ends of the casket between said end and plates i3 and 44 carried thereby, are moved to cover up the recess 32 and aperture 40 respectively, the plate 4-2 havingl an air tight lit.

rThe means for securingl the cover in open position consists of a brace rod having` a loosepivotal connection at one end with an eye bolt 46 mounted inside one end of the cover and having a pin 47 at its other end engagea-ble beneath a slotted plate 48 in the top of one end'of the casket and removable therefrom when desired.

The means for lowering` the cover dien the body is lowered consists of the brace rod previously described which is'alsol provided with a pin 49 and a detachable connection between said brace and the platform 1G. This connection consists of a T-shaped slot 50 in the platform 1G whereby the pin -lTYwith the end of the brace may be inserted in the transverse portion of the slot and then moved rearwardly in said slot so that the brace will be held to the tween the pins'4 and 49 whereby on a lowering of the platformY with the body the down and carry the cover down with it to closed position.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressn platform beiV lith the construction above described the body is placed in the casket upon the platform which is raised through the mechanism previously described and the cover is turned to open position and secured to display the body. After the burial service, the cover brace is placed in connection with the plat.- form and`r with the brake applied the body is slowly lowered with the cover. The actuating means is then removed and the plates ell and 42 moved to cover up the recess 32 and aperture l0. Then the casket is carried to the grave.

l am aware that the details of construction herein shown and described are subject to some modification and change and l desii'c it to be understood that such chances as come within the scope of th i appended claim are within thc spirit of my invention.

llhat I claim as my invention is:

The combination. with a casket, ol a body supportiinb)` platform disposed therein, a shaft within the casket, platform supporting straps mounted within the casket for raising and lowering' said platform on thc rotation of said shaft, a shaft actuatingy device comprisingj a shaft detachably secured to the first named shaft, a brake and a cas ing' for the brake provided with an inwardly extendinn lug", said casket having` an opening therein for receiving' said lug, means carried by the casket for eiigratiinc` thc luteto detachably secure the brakefcasing,r tliereto. and a plate slidably mounted on the casket adjacent said opening to cover the same `when the shaft actuating` device is re,- moved.

In testimony whereof. I atlix my si gnature.

JAMES SVANDA.

Washington, D. C. 

